What makes Great Weapon Master and Sharpshooter so good?

[CapnZapp]

It assumes that advantage is rare.

Probably true.

In the real world, savvy players never use it without advantage (except at uncommonly low ACs)

 

[Swarmkeeper]

I don't often use feats in my games, but I have some experience with them as DM and a player, particularly Sharpshooter.

One of my favorite characters is Red Creek Rufus, a ranger. He's the world's greatest fisherman, so his primary weapon is a net. With Sharpshooter, that means I can actually throw it from range and suffer no penalty, then have his boar, Belvedere, charge and knock down the target. Prone and restrained sucks big time and this is the primary tactic against a high-AC monster. .

Red Creek Rufus: Making Nets Great Again!

 

[Fleetwood C. DeVille]

Sharpshooter allowed my Halfling rogue's hand-crossbow range (and ability to do sneak attacks) go from 30ft to 120ft. Plus no cover for the targets.

+10 damage was nice, but I hardly ever used it.

 

[cmad1977]

These feats are overpowered.

But only to underpowered GMs.

 

[jgsugden]

Probably true.

In the real world, savvy players never use it without advantage (except at uncommonly low ACs)

Uncommonly low? If all you care about is average damage, which is a mistake for the reasons I say above, there are a lot of creatures where it makes sense, and many of those appear in higher volumes (fodder or soldier types that are used a lot).

Another thing to consider: Overpowered is not necessarily bad. It isn't player vs DM - so it doesn't need to be a balanced game. All that matters to me is whether the presence of the fun reduces fun for (other) players.

 

[BookBarbarian]

Is everyone always attacking with advantage, or am I missing some other game changing aspect?

I am. Because that's what Reckless Attack does. It also doubles my crit chance helping me land that bonus action attack from GWM.

Barbarian+GWM are a match made in heaven.

 

[5ekyu]

If you think you can disprove its real life performance in actual play with your spurious math, think again.

Math is math... The actual performance of the feats 5/10 feature - as stated - varies by the circumstances involved - most notably the hit chances and base damage.

One mans spurious is another man's basic mathematics.

 

[5ekyu]

I am. Because that's what Reckless Attack does. It also doubles my crit chance helping me land that bonus action attack from GWM.

Barbarian+GWM are a match made in heaven.

This would seem to,imply enemies are never giving you disadvantage.

That must be fun.

Tactically, disad-ing heavy hitters is usually a good idea.

 

[BookBarbarian]

This would seem to,imply enemies are never giving you disadvantage.

That must be fun.

Tactically, disad-ing heavy hitters is usually a good idea.

Definitely a good idea, but indeed I haven't encountered too many that give disadvantage on melee attack rolls.

Edit: I have encountered invisibile enemies, but I can't recall any that had Greater Invisibility.

 

[5ekyu]

Definitely a good idea, but indeed I haven't encountered too many that give disadvantage on melee attack rolls.

Yup that would be a campaign setting element, circumstance, that strongly favors the combo, etc.